One of the classes I teach is an intro class for business. I always start with the students completing online personality and career assessments. From there, we do some career research, learn to fill out job applications, do mock interviews, etc... We end up with them "getting the job," and then we move into budgeting and investing.We just entered budgeting. I came up with a project last trimester and am doing it again. I've done a little fine-tuning, and I'm sure that will continue, but I really like this project.
My students have to come up with one week's worth of menus, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack, for a family of four. Their family consists of two adults and two young children. They will then multiply this menu by four and feed their family for a month.
Their meals must follow USDA guidelines for adults and children. They must include dairy, protein, grains, and fruit or vegetables. I provide them with the most current food pyramid to use as a guide.
Over the weekend, they had to go to the grocery store and price a list of staples. I also provided them with last week's sales flyers for three grocery stores.
Once they have created their week's worth of menus, they have to create a shopping list using the above prices to calculate the costs of their grocery bill. If they want to add something that is not on one of those documents, they have to get the current price. I help them breakdown prices to calculate the cost of a slice of bread, etc...
Today, we got started. Oh, did I mention their budget? It's $75 a week. This is food only. They do not have to buy cleaning supplies, paper products, spices, or condiments. They think I'm incredibly cruel. I tell them this is a realistic number for many families. Students took turns coming to my desk to ask questions about the project, check on menu ideas, and whatever question they came up with to try and circumvent the rules.
The prize goes to one student though. He sincerely and truly tried to convince me that the crunchberries in Cap'n Crunch counted as the fruit portion of his breakfast. Oy!
Labels: school
5 Comments:
What!? Crunchberries don't count!? You're too cruel Magi!
This project sounds great. More teachers should have their students doing things like this.
Heck, after the Reagan-era of 'ketchup is a vegetable' I guess just about anything is fair game!
I really like what you do in this class. I have to think, had I had HS teachers who lived in the real world and led us this way, what I would have done differently in my life. I am super impressed with your lesson plan. Talk about teaching more than just business. These kids will be prepared for budgets and menu planning and, life.
Kudos!
BTW, I was checking out your 'favorite things' scroll and it got me to thinking (always a scary thing, I know). But, since you like food with a bit more kick than I do, do you have a fav hot sauce? Jeff is almost out of what we have, that we bought while living in NM. He says he likes the heat of Tabasco, but not the flavor. If you have any suggestions, Santa's elf needs a hand. ;)
I was just thinking this morning that I thought that my breakfast of a dove bar was healthier than cereal. It had icecream, I know that is a fatty milk substitute, but the chocolate had almonds in it and they are very healthy. I give the cap'n crunch guy an A-, if he added almonds to the cereal, and A+.
Magi,
That actually made me LAUGH OUT LOUD!!! Kayson agreed with your student btw. I had to kindly let him know that crunchberries are still cereal(even though they ARE called BERRIES), which is part of the bread/grain food group. That is TOO funny!!! Thanks for the laugh. I needed it today! :)
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